攻殻機動隊 (1995)
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A cyborg public-security agent hunts an enigmatic hacker in a technologically advanced world.
The story
Set in 2029 in the fictional New Port City, the film follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg public-security agent who hunts an enigmatic hacker/ghost known as "the Puppet Master". In a world where the human body can be augmented or even completely replaced with cybernetic parts, and the human brain can be housed in a mechanical casing called a "cyberbrain," Kusanagi and her team from Public Security Section 9 investigate a series of high-tech crimes. The narrative explores the boundaries of identity and consciousness in a world where the line between human and machine is increasingly blurred by advanced technology.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 2029, the human body can be augmented or replaced with cybernetic parts, and the 'cyberbrain' allows access to the Internet. Major Motoko Kusanagi, leader of Public Security Section 9 in New Port City, investigates the 'Puppet Master,' a mysterious hacker. After a series of investigations involving a stolen shell and a mysterious 'Project 2501,' Kusanagi's team discovers that the Puppet Master is a sentient being seeking to escape its own network. Kusanagi eventually confronts the Puppet Master in an abandoned building. After a fierce battle with a robotic tank, she connects her brain to the Puppet Master's. The Puppet Master, seeking a way to experience mortality and reproduction, proposes merging their ghosts. Kusanagi agrees, and their consciousnesses merge. Following the merger, Kusanagi awakens in a child-sized shell, no longer the original Major or the Puppet Master, but a combination of both, as she looks out over the city.
- Original title
- Gōsuto in za Sheru/Kōkaku Kidōtai
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 82
- Production countries
- Japan; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- Japanese
- Directors
- Mamoru Oshii
- Writers
- Kazunori Itō · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Atsuko Tanaka · Motoko Kusanagi; Akio Ōtsuka; Iemasa Kayumi
- Genres
- animated; tech noir; action; thriller
- Themes
- self and identity; human cyborgs; consciousness; self-aware computer programs; memory alteration
- Tone and mood
- moody
- Premise and plot tags
- cyberpunk; existentialist; science fiction
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1989 manga by Masamune Shirow
- Content notes
- violence; nudity
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim, praised for its narrative, visuals, and musical score. While initially a box-office failure, it developed a cult following and is now considered one of the greatest anime and science fiction films of all time.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · review count: 62; Metacritic · score: 76 · scale: 100 · review count: 14
- Awards and nominations
- Best Screenplay · Yokohama Film Festival · won
- Production trivia
- Inspired the Wachowskis' The Matrix; Used a novel process called 'digitally generated animation' (DGA); The music includes vocals in classical Japanese
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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